While safety is important in every business, installing utility-solar systems carry serious risks. At Terrasmart, our people are our most important asset, which is why safety is so important.
As a leader in the industry, we have made it our mission to include safety protocols and risk mitigation in everything we do. Since June is National Safety Month, we couldn’t think of a better time to share our safety practices.
A Culture of safety
Terrasmart leaders have long championed a culture of safety, which is now steered by Tim Roberts, the company’s new Safety Director of Field Operations. Tim brought to Terrasmart 20 years of experience as a safety consultant in solar energy, along with expertise as a safety auditor for 10 years and as an OSHA instructor.
“Even before I was employed at Terrasmart, I was impressed with the company’s commitment to its employees, subcontractors, customers, and the community at large,” says Tim. “Our people come first and our ‘Think Safety’ motto and principles drive everything we do.”
Industry-Leading Training for Every Team Member
We train every team member, including temporary workers who are part of our on location crews, at our own training facility in Selkirk, New York. Serving as an operational hub for the northeast region, the 10,000 square-foot Selkirk facility also houses training and certification of TerraSmart’s proprietary ground screw and rock-drilling equipment. Every new crew member receives comprehensive training on safety and equipment, for every aspect of our operations, before they go into the field for an installation.
Our training program is uniquely comprehensive and includes mandatory safety and equipment certifications for team members depending on their job responsibilities, including:
- Terrasmart’s proprietary ground screw machines
- Racking installation certification
- Lull/construction forklift
- Rock Drill operator
- CPR
- Skid Steer loader/operator training
- OSHA 10
- All terrain vehicles
Solar Construction Best Practices
“I have always relied on the superintendent to set the example,” says Tim. “But safety is the responsibility of everyone on the team.”
Each project site has a series of scheduled safety practices.
“Safety audits are conducted bi-weekly by Construction Managers,” says Randy Smith, Terrasmart’s Director of Construction Management. “Then onsite field staff monitor and adjust safety parameters as needed or as conditions dictate.”
The construction team also meets regularly. Each week, the onsite superintendent conducts a Weekly Toolbox Talk. The teams discuss safety precautions around weather conditions like lightning and snow, proper ladder usage, and more.
Every day, construction crews follow these safety protocols:
- Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) – the superintendent or manager will go over hazards that may surround a particular task, and discuss how to mitigate the risks
- ‘Stay Alive and Take 5’ initiative – the entire team walks the route and looks for hazards that might be unseen
- Stretch and Flex (morning and after lunch) – 10 minutes of gentle stretching to keep everyone warmed up and flexible sign-in and sign out sheets – confirm that crew members left the site well and healthy
- Daily job report – sent in by all superintendents daily
- Equipment inspections – Completed prior to every use
Terrasmart continues to embrace new ways to increase job safety. Recent changes that were implemented based on Tim’s recommendations include making the operation of the ground screw machine a one-man job in order to safeguard handling of the screws. Tim also implemented more thorough use of PPE gear to increase safety when handling materials like purlins and other supplies.
The Future of Safety at Terrasmart
Unlike many others in our industry, our 200+ installation team self-performs every project’s mechanical aspects. Not only does this keep costs down, and projects on schedule, it allows us to mitigate risks and ensure safety on every job site.
We will continue to make safety a top priority in our company, to serve our employees and customers.
